Speech #920198324

Mr. Speaker. I was concerned to learn yesterday that the distinguished chairman of the House Immigration Subcommittee intends to hold additional hearings into the question of illegal aliens. As I have already mentioned to my good friend. Mr. RODINO. I do not believe enough substantive facts as to the nature and extent of an illegal alien situation are available on which to proceed with hearings. I feel it would have been more suitable to have either the staff of Judiciary Subcommittee No. 1 and/or some outside organization or agency conduct an exhaustive. independent investigation into any real or imagined problem of illegal aliens. If the findings of such a study warranted fullscale hearings. they could then be held. The whole issue of illegal aliens has generated a great deal of controversy. particularly among Spanishspeaking persons in this country. Regardless of statements to the contrary. the term "illegal alien" has become a code word for Mexican Americans in the Southwest and Spanishspeaking persons from Latin American nations and the Caribbean on the east coast. Many of the charges which have been made about illegal aliens are irresponsible and. in many instances. are unproven and unfounded. Although I do not know what purposes they aim to serve. some individuals have presented distorted claims and figures on the number of persons living and working in the United States illegally. In considering the issue of illegal aliens the Congress must realize that it shares the blame for any problem which may exist by having created the highly discriminatory annual limitation on the number of persons permitted to emigrate to the United States from Latin America. Not only our own Spanishspeaking citizens but our Western Hemisphere neighbors to the south deeply resent this illconceived artificial barrier. Also. they are interpreting the whole inquiry into the illegal alien question as an attempt to further restrict the entry of their families and friends into this country. One of my greatest concerns about these hearings is that. irrespective of the fair and open manner in which they are conducted. I am fearful that the unfounded charges made at them will simply serve to fan the flames of prejudice and misunderstanding and that the inquiry will unnecessarily exacerbate tensions which already exist within the community.